2025-26 Incoming Freshman and Transfers

[Trotsky]

Daily Sun profile on the newbies: https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/meet-the-14-newest-members-of-men-s-hockey

[BearLover]

I was surprised CJ deviated from the goalie platoon and Cournoyer got both games last weekend. Cournoyer and Keopple were evidently close enough for a platoon the first weekend, and Keopple wasn't bad in his start the first weekend, so I'm not sure how the coaching staff received enough new information to give the nod to Cournoyer both nights. Cournoyer looks really good, and the coaching staff may well think he is slightly ahead of Keopple, but this saga is surprising to me more from a fairness/team camaraderie perspective. This plus the fact Cournoyer was added so late in the recruiting cycle with three goalies already on the roster makes it feel like a win-at-all-costs type of move.

[ugarte]

I was surprised CJ deviated from the goalie platoon and Cournoyer got both games last weekend. Cournoyer and Keopple were evidently close enough for a platoon the first weekend, and Keopple wasn't bad in his start the first weekend, so I'm not sure how the coaching staff received enough new information to give the nod to Cournoyer both nights. Cournoyer looks really good, and the coaching staff may well think he is slightly ahead of Keopple, but this saga is surprising to me more from a fairness/team camaraderie perspective. This plus the fact Cournoyer was added so late in the recruiting cycle with three goalies already on the roster makes it feel like a win-at-all-costs type of move.

mostly i don't mind the speculation but damn dude this is not a real thing. you play your best players. if the coaches think it's cournoyer, that's who should play. sucks for keopple but them's the breaks. practice better if you want to play because it doesn't get handed to you. i'd be stunned if anyone else in the locker room gave it a second thought.

[stereax]

I was surprised CJ deviated from the goalie platoon and Cournoyer got both games last weekend. Cournoyer and Keopple were evidently close enough for a platoon the first weekend, and Keopple wasn't bad in his start the first weekend, so I'm not sure how the coaching staff received enough new information to give the nod to Cournoyer both nights. Cournoyer looks really good, and the coaching staff may well think he is slightly ahead of Keopple, but this saga is surprising to me more from a fairness/team camaraderie perspective. This plus the fact Cournoyer was added so late in the recruiting cycle with three goalies already on the roster makes it feel like a win-at-all-costs type of move.

mostly i don't mind the speculation but damn dude this is not a real thing. you play your best players. if the coaches think it's cournoyer, that's who should play. sucks for keopple but them's the breaks. practice better if you want to play because it doesn't get handed to you. i'd be stunned if anyone else in the locker room gave it a second thought.

Cournoyer won the Harvard game so he gets another. That's basically how it goes lol. Wonder if we see Keopple again this weekend.

[Trotsky]

Coaches have 10x the information they get in the games we see.  We are only privy to the tip of the iceberg. 

Also, they are research scientists and we are RFK Jr.

The last couple decades have wrapped it up for the proposition that the common man has anything valuable to say about anything that involves expertise. Outside of their trained field, everyone is a fuckwit.

[BearLover]

I was surprised CJ deviated from the goalie platoon and Cournoyer got both games last weekend. Cournoyer and Keopple were evidently close enough for a platoon the first weekend, and Keopple wasn't bad in his start the first weekend, so I'm not sure how the coaching staff received enough new information to give the nod to Cournoyer both nights. Cournoyer looks really good, and the coaching staff may well think he is slightly ahead of Keopple, but this saga is surprising to me more from a fairness/team camaraderie perspective. This plus the fact Cournoyer was added so late in the recruiting cycle with three goalies already on the roster makes it feel like a win-at-all-costs type of move.

mostly i don't mind the speculation but damn dude this is not a real thing. you play your best players. if the coaches think it's cournoyer, that's who should play. sucks for keopple but them's the breaks. practice better if you want to play because it doesn't get handed to you. i'd be stunned if anyone else in the locker room gave it a second thought.

It's not just playing Cournoyer over Keopple, it's recruiting Cournoyer for 2025-26 three months before school starts when you already have three goalies on the roster including one who has waited three years for a chance to start.

Also if Cournoyer is clearly better then no one is giving it a second thought, but that's not really what this is about.

[ugarte]

I was surprised CJ deviated from the goalie platoon and Cournoyer got both games last weekend. Cournoyer and Keopple were evidently close enough for a platoon the first weekend, and Keopple wasn't bad in his start the first weekend, so I'm not sure how the coaching staff received enough new information to give the nod to Cournoyer both nights. Cournoyer looks really good, and the coaching staff may well think he is slightly ahead of Keopple, but this saga is surprising to me more from a fairness/team camaraderie perspective. This plus the fact Cournoyer was added so late in the recruiting cycle with three goalies already on the roster makes it feel like a win-at-all-costs type of move.

mostly i don't mind the speculation but damn dude this is not a real thing. you play your best players. if the coaches think it's cournoyer, that's who should play. sucks for keopple but them's the breaks. practice better if you want to play because it doesn't get handed to you. i'd be stunned if anyone else in the locker room gave it a second thought.

It's not just playing Cournoyer over Keopple, it's recruiting Cournoyer for 2025-26 three months before school starts when you already have three goalies on the roster including one who has waited three years for a chance to start.

Also if Cournoyer is clearly better then no one is giving it a second thought, but that's not really what this is about.

WHO. CARES.

There is not a good team in the country where the players don't have to worry about being recruited over. Cournoyer was recruited when he became available. Unless you have some information that a guy showed up with a bag of cash on the doorstep of someone who hadn't considered college. He wasn't some kind of under the radar recruit; it was a big deal when we got him. It would have been insane not to bring a quality player like him in as soon as possible regardless of how it affected the roster. (That last claim may sound familiar to you.)

I feel for Keopple but this is what sports is.

As for the other two goalies, one is also a freshman and the other is a sophomore who got zero non-exhibition minutes.

Is there some reason you think there isn't a gap between Keopple and Cournoyer? Keopple came in highly-touted as a member of Team USA at Junior Worlds but... he got 20 minutes of play in that tournament then immediately found himself sitting behind Shane. I loved Shane but he's currently looking like the second-best goalie on his ECHL team.

I don't know why Keopple got the first start against UMass but maybe the answer there is "tip of the cap to the senior who is probably going to spend the year watching the better goalie."

Maybe my perspective is warped by following wrestling so closely. Only one guy gets to wrestle per weight for the whole year (aside from some early season open events or some competition to sort out close weights). We recruit at the highest levels in wrestling. Our guys often come in with multiple state titles, national tournament medals or slots on Team USA in international age-group events (like Keopple). You'd be amazed how many guys who were eagerly anticipated but couldn't crack the lineup. It's even worse at Penn State.

[BearLover]

I was surprised CJ deviated from the goalie platoon and Cournoyer got both games last weekend. Cournoyer and Keopple were evidently close enough for a platoon the first weekend, and Keopple wasn't bad in his start the first weekend, so I'm not sure how the coaching staff received enough new information to give the nod to Cournoyer both nights. Cournoyer looks really good, and the coaching staff may well think he is slightly ahead of Keopple, but this saga is surprising to me more from a fairness/team camaraderie perspective. This plus the fact Cournoyer was added so late in the recruiting cycle with three goalies already on the roster makes it feel like a win-at-all-costs type of move.

mostly i don't mind the speculation but damn dude this is not a real thing. you play your best players. if the coaches think it's cournoyer, that's who should play. sucks for keopple but them's the breaks. practice better if you want to play because it doesn't get handed to you. i'd be stunned if anyone else in the locker room gave it a second thought.

It's not just playing Cournoyer over Keopple, it's recruiting Cournoyer for 2025-26 three months before school starts when you already have three goalies on the roster including one who has waited three years for a chance to start.

Also if Cournoyer is clearly better then no one is giving it a second thought, but that's not really what this is about.

WHO. CARES.

There is not a good team in the country where the players don't have to worry about being recruited over. Cournoyer was recruited when he became available. Unless you have some information that a guy showed up with a bag of cash on the doorstep of someone who hadn't considered college. He wasn't some kind of under the radar recruit; it was a big deal when we got him. It would have been insane not to bring a quality player like him in as soon as possible regardless of how it affected the roster. (That last claim may sound familiar to you.)

I feel for Keopple but this is what sports is.

As for the other two goalies, one is also a freshman and the other is a sophomore who got zero non-exhibition minutes.

Is there some reason you think there isn't a gap between Keopple and Cournoyer? Keopple came in highly-touted as a member of Team USA at Junior Worlds but... he got 20 minutes of play in that tournament then immediately found himself sitting behind Shane. I loved Shane but he's currently looking like the second-best goalie on his ECHL team.

I don't know why Keopple got the first start against UMass but maybe the answer there is "tip of the cap to the senior who is probably going to spend the year watching the better goalie."

Maybe my perspective is warped by following wrestling so closely. Only one guy gets to wrestle per weight for the whole year (aside from some early season open events or some competition to sort out close weights). We recruit at the highest levels in wrestling. Our guys often come in with multiple state titles, national tournament medals or slots on Team USA in international age-group events (like Keopple). You'd be amazed how many guys who were eagerly anticipated but couldn't crack the lineup. It's even worse at Penn State.

You seem to be reading into my post that I'm unhappy Cournoyer is starting or think the coaches are making a mistake or something. In fact, I was very happy when Cournoyer was recruited and predicted he would be the starting goalie this season. I'm literally just making an observation; this situation is unprecedented in the 15 years I've been following Cornell hockey recruiting. We have never carried 4 goalies, we have never brought in a a goalie this late in the cycle. This is not business as usual. I don't know why that warrants typing "WHO. CARES." in all caps but ok.

And yes, I'm assuming the goalies are close based on the fact Keopple started the first game, got half of the preseason time, and is a senior while Cournoyer is a freshman. Plus every indication Casey has given is that it's an ongoing competition.

[Dafatone]

I'm torn between thinking rest is always a good thing so it's okay to rotate goalies a few more weeks until Cournoyer (or who knows, maybe Keopple if things go in the other direction) gets his legs under him, and thinking Cournoyer looks a lot better.

[ugarte]

You seem to be reading into my post that ...

The only thing I'm reading into your posts is that you had a reason to offer multiple messages suggesting surprise at a change in role for the goalies between weeks one and two. An underlying assumption that Cournoyer taking over the role of starter was premature or otherwise in need of explanation. 

If your counterargument is that you type just to see your words on a screen, well sure. You certainly can do that.

[The Rancor]

WHO CARES maybe he had a tummy ache or he had a migraine? Maybe he starts on Friday. We'll have to see because we are only 4 games in. It's not a cover-up.

[BearLover]

You seem to be reading into my post that ...

The only thing I'm reading into your posts is that you had a reason to offer multiple messages suggesting surprise at a change in role for the goalies between weeks one and two. An underlying assumption that Cournoyer taking over the role of starter was premature or otherwise in need of explanation. 

Surprising, yes (given the reasons already stated). Premature or in need of explanation, not really. It was surprising when Tom Brady permanently won the starting job from Drew Bledsoe, enough for people to remark on it on Internet fora, but I don't think those remarking on it thought it premature or in need of explanation.

[BearLover]

WHO CARES

It's illegal to post about Cornell hockey on a Cornell hockey forum now

[stereax]

I'm torn between thinking rest is always a good thing so it's okay to rotate goalies a few more weeks until Cournoyer (or who knows, maybe Keopple if things go in the other direction) gets his legs under him, and thinking Cournoyer looks a lot better.

I think Cournoyer looks a lot better lol. Even if he does the stomach flops a lot more than I'm used to. But also I don't know if Keopple looked bad, which is the thing.

[Trotsky]

WHO CARES

It's illegal to post about Cornell hockey on a Cornell hockey forum now

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